The BRP Ramon Alcaraz finally reaches the US West Coast and docks in San Diego Naval Base, California on June 29, 2013 (Philippine time zone). The ship started her journey to the Philippines from US Coast Guard Base in Charleston, South Carolina on June 10, 2013 with a planned cruising speed average of around 12 knots.

The BRP Ramon Alcaraz leaving the US Coast Guard Base in Charleston, South Carolina on June 10, 2013.Photo take from Philippine Embassy in Washington c/o Elmer Cato.

A "killer tomato" similar to the one above was used as a floating target by the BRP Ramon Alcaraz in its gun testing off the coast of Florida.
Photo taken from US Navy website.

A video of the ship leaving Charleston and the weapons testing is shown here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x02FBpMNNuoThe BRP Ramon Alcaraz headed to the entrance of Panama Canal for a historic crossing towards the Pacific Ocean side. She started the Panama Canal crossing on June 17, 2013.

The BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) docked at the San Diego Naval Base, just beside the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Ship JDS Shimokita (LST-4002).Photo taken from SeaWaves Magazine.

BRP Ramon Alcaraz will be in San Diego for a few days, and will finally leave the North American mainland for Hawaii for a scheduled stop-over at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.MaxDefense will update the BRP Ramon Alcaraz's journey to the Philippines, until it reaches Manila Bay which is tentatively scheduled on the 1st week of August, 2013.

FOR BRP ALCARAZ , CAN THE PHIL NAVY BUY 2 SET OF RBS 70, MISSILE LAUNCHER AND 20 MISSILE EXTRA FOR AIR DEFENSE JUST WORTH 6 MILLION DOLLAR? FIRE AND FORGET SYSTEM, 8 MILES EFFECTIVE RANGE ON MACH 2. SO WHEN FACE TO FACE WITH CHINESE BULLYS AT WE HAVE SOME SORT OF WEAPON TO SAY , RIGHT, MAX.

OUR BRP'S GOYO AND ALCARAZ COULD BE POTENT IF THE NAVY REALLY WANTS TO SPEND FEW MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, INSTALL EACH SHIP WITH 2X3 HARPOONS, THATS AT LEAST $11.5 MILLIONS PLUS 2 MISSILE LAUNCHERS OF RBS 70 BOLLIDE THATS ALSO $6 MILLIONS. FOR TWO NAVAL SHIP WILL ONLY COST $40 MILLION AWAY CHEAPER THAN BUYING A NEW $200 MILLION EACH. OUR BRP'S HAS NEW ENGINE SO IT IS STILL CAPABLE OF GOING AFTER THOSE CHINITOS. SO SIMPLE AS THAT. RIGHT MR. MAX.

The Goyo and Alcaraz are 45 year old ships and shows a lot on the radar screen, A single Shipwreck can obliterate it without knowing what hit it. No RCS reduction, no air warning radar, no CIWS, no SSM, no SAM. Hand it over to the Coast Guard where they are of more use.

I feel sorry for our navy, we cant fight with this bully's in our hood. I wish we can donate $500.00 all Filipino base on overseas and buy weapons and aircraft for military. Like the F-18 hornets, land base missile battery, RBS 15, 200 mile range. Just to protect our sea boundary, and the bully's will think twice before crossing the lines. Somebody has to create a foundation for the cause of our military before they will grab a mother land. We only need $2 billion and we are now secured. 24 F-18 hornets, 12 Sukhoi 35, 10 missile battery, mobile. f-18 @ $40 mil, Sukhoi 35 @ $45 mil, missile battery @ $18 mil . For 10 million Filipinos abroad base @ $200.00-$500.00. it will help a lot. Our govt has a will to provide but congress and senate holds the ball. They are so cheap to get a approval only P75 billion for 5 years. not enough. They wasted more money in the drain by corruption than providing military hardware and weaponry to protect our territory.Very disgusting don't you know that.

OUR MILITARY TOP GUYS ARE SMART, NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT, BUT THE PROBLEM IS OUR CULTURE AS A FILIPINO, NO ONE WANTS TO STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID TO LOOSE THERE JOB, EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO BY THE FLOW TO KEEP THE JOB. THAS WHY WE CAN'T BLAME THOSE GUYS TOO.WE ARE LUCKY THAT WE HAVE PINOY A PRESIDENT A U.S. WILL EDUCATED , WHO HAS A GUTS TO FIGHT WHAT IS RIGHT, BUT STILL NOT ENOUGH, HE IS SORROUNDED WITH A CENTURY OLD CULTURE OF CORRUPTION SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE PILIPINO BORN WITH THAT KIND OF LIFE.AT LEAST THERE IS A BEGINNING, WHO KNOWS THE MAGIC WILL STAY AS IT IS. PINOY IS THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY, HOPE HE WILL BE RE-ELECTED FOR ANOTHER TERM, JUST TO FINISH THE PROMISED STRONG NAVY AND AIR FORCE THAT PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR. EVEN US IN THE U.S. BASED FILIPINO ARE ALSO EAGER AND PROUD TO SEE THE FUTURE OF OUR AIR FORCE AND NAVY,WITH HIGHLY ADVANCE AND MODERN WARFARE EQIPMENT.

IF THE BRP HAS LYNX OR NH60 ANTI SUB HELICOPTER SOON? THE NAVAL SHIP BRP DOESNT NEED TORPEDOS NO MORE JUST TO SAVE SOME MONEY AND DEAD WEIGHT OF THE SHIP,RIGHT, THE MOST IMPORTANT IF THE NAVY SHOULD JUST GO WITH THE HARPOONS AND ANTI-AIR MISSILE, THE MANPADS RBS 70 NG, BOLLIDES

Which BRP? If you mean the Gregorio del Pilar-class, then I'm hate to burst your bubble but Super Lynx / Wildcat and NH90 ASW can't fit these ships because of the small hangar. The PN is looking at smaller helicopters to fit the ship's hangar. See the previous blogs for more information.

A former naval officer of the Philippine Navy, initially a reservist before becoming an active officer, opted to retire early and migrate to another country. Aside from being in the service, he has been following Philippine and regional defence issues, as well as military technology and industrial movements, and developments in regional military upgrades since the mid 1990s. He has been involved in other defence sites & minor publications for the past several years, and a regular at regional defence exhibitions & symposiums. Currently works as a systems consultant for a foreign military organisation. As a defence writer, he has no political affiliation, and would not hesitate to criticise any political leader, organisation, or political part when issues on defence and security of the Philippines are believed to be in peril.